This disclosure relates to data storage apparatus and data storage method.
As image data to be processed by an image processor like multifunction peripherals, various kinds of data exist, such as data in a terminal device connected with the image processor via network, data read by an image reader such as a scanner, and data received via facsimile transmission.
The image data is not always referenced or outputted as soon as the image data is inputted in the image processor. There is a possibility that the data is stored in a memory device provided to the image processor, such as a hard disk. The image data stored in the memory device is to be referenced or outputted by a user according to his purpose at his desired time.
Although a capacity of the memory device in the image processor increases year after year, the capacity of the memory device has a limit. Generally, the storing of the image data is often limited by a condition with respect to a storage period of the image data to be stored or a maximum capacity of the memory device. Since the condition can be set freely by a user, the image data can be stored within an available capacity of the memory device, but the user, that has first stored the image data in the memory device, gains a profit. Accordingly, when plural users are sharing the memory device, there is a problem whether or not the capacity of the memory device can be allocated to each user effectively.
There are many kinds of conventional techniques with respect to the allocation of the memory capacity. For instance, it is known that the document management apparatus includes a user information storage unit for storing information about users, a document file storage unit for storing a document file, and a storage capacity setting unit for setting a user available storage capacity in the document file storage unit for every user stored in the user information storage unit. In the apparatus, the storage memory setting unit is configured to set the user available storage capacity within a range of the remained capacity of the document file storage unit. According to the above configuration, the user can easily operate the setting of the user available storage capacity in the memory that the user is allowed to use, and the user available storage capacity can be limited certainly. In addition, it is sure that the user can store the document file in the memory to the user available storage capacity.
In addition, an image processor wherein a storage area is disposed for every user is known. The image processor includes a calculation unit for calculating a total of a size of a second user's storage area used by a first user and a size of the first user's storage area used by the second user, and a determination unit for determining whether or not the total is more than a specific size. When it is determined that the total is more than the specific size, if the storage area for the first user and the storage area for the second user are in different image processors, a resetting unit resets the first user's storage area and the second user's storage area in a same image processor. According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the communication traffic in the network system.
Moreover, it is known that a storage memory allocation method includes steps of receiving a request for storage memory allocation for a file of a current size; estimating a future size of the file, different than the current size of the file, based on at least on a specific attribute associated with the file; and causing allocation of storage memory space for storage of the file based on the future size of the file. The method can realize the allocation of storage memory space for the file based on the estimated future size of the file.
In the above technique, however, the frequency of use of the memory by each user is not considered. There is a problem that it is not clear whether or not the memory capacity can be allocated effectively.